The history of this confectionery family dates back to 1919, when Chester K. "Chet" Enstrom got his start in the candy business. At 17 years of age, Chet went to work in the ice cream factory at Barthel's Confectionery in Colorado Springs. Often, when his shift ended, he would help out across the street in the adjacent candy factory, and he quietly began learning the candy-maker's art. In 1929, Chet and his bride, Vernie, packed up their Model T and drove the rut-filled roads to Grand Junction, Colorado to begin a new life. There Chet and a partner, Harry Jones, launched the Jones-Enstrom Ice Cream Company, a business he pursued for the next thirty years.
Meanwhile, Chet also pursued his favorite hobby; handcrafting various confections. His specialty was almond toffee, and he experimented at night and on weekends, brewing up small batches of this hard-to-make treat as a gift for family and friends. By 1960, his almond toffee had begun to develop a reputation and, at the urging of those early gift-recipients, Chet founded Enstrom Candies.
Chet and Vernie planned to make their new "Candy Kitchen" a mom-and-pop operation, but the orders kept flooding in. By 1965, Enstrom was shipping almond toffee worldwide and Chet sold the business to his son and daughter-in-law, Emil and Mary Enstrom, so he could pursue a political career in the Colorado State Senate.
Under the direction of Emil and Mary, Enstrom Candies thrived. In 1979, their daughter, Jamee and her husband, Doug Simons, joined the Company. In 1990, Chet's grandson, Rick, and his wife Linda, opened a retail store in Denver's Cherry Creek North. In 1993, Jamee and Doug purchased the business and continued building the Company.
Today, Enstrom Candies remains a family business. Jamee and Doug oversee the operation of the "Candy Kitchen" and retail stores in Grand Junction, Colorado, where every batch of traditional almond toffee is still made by hand with only the finest, freshest ingredients. Rick and Linda manage the Denver-area retail stores. Jamee and Doug are also very proud that their sons, Doug Jr. and Jim, have joined the Company to become the fourth-generation of the family business and are learning the art of what it takes to make world-class confections.
Throughout the last 50 years, Enstrom Candies has expanded their product line to include toffee popcorn, truffles and delicious gourmet chocolates. Thanks to Granddad Chet, they are celebrating over fifty years of a treasured family business; over fifty years of watching eyes light up and smiles appear when people taste the world's finest almond toffee. Most importantly, they are celebrating more than fifty years of honoring Granddad's philosophy that "we're just making a little almond toffee for a few of our friends."
Oatmeal Toffee Cookies
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Cups Rolled Oats
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1/2Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
8 Oz Enstrom's Toffee Crumbs
1 Cup semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Stir in Toffee Crumbs.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes. Cool on pans for 1 minute. Do not over bake! The cookies may not look quite done when you pull them out, but they will be nice and soft when they are cooled.
Remove cookies from pan; cool completely on wire racks.
Source: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDX6PvvaBMA http://youtu.be/YDX6PvvaBMA]
